Inside the Phillies with MLB.com beat writer Todd Zolecki

You See Something New Every Day at the Old Ball Yard

Charlie Manuel sounded very certain yesterday afternoon that Brad Lidge needed to pitch a few more times in non-save situations before he resumed closing duties.

It sounded last night like he had a sudden change of heart.

Lidge allowed one hit and struck out two during last night’s 6-3 loss to the Cardinals. Lidge looked sharp, sharp enough that Lidge could be closing as early as tonight.

“Yeah, he looked ready,” Manuel said.

Maybe he just feels he needs to line up his bullpen ASAP. With runners on first and second and two outs in the seventh inning, the Phillies had Nelson Figueroa replace Joe Blanton. Figueroa allowed Blanton’s runners to score, plus two more, to turn a 2-1 game into a 6-1 game.

If everything had worked the way Manuel had hoped it would work before the season started, the Phillies would have asked Danys Baez, Jose Contreras, Chad Durbin or J.C. Romero to pitch the seventh. But with Ryan Madson hurt, Durbin unavailable after pitching two innings Sunday, Baez struggling and only having pitched once previously in consecutive games this season and Manuel trying to ease Lidge and Romero back following offseason elbow surgeries, he felt he had no other options.

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Just before the game a few beat writers were discussing the baseball cliche that you see something new during every baseball game.

Well, it turns out we really did this time. A Philadelphia police officer Tased a fan who ran onto the field before the eighth inning. The kid seemed to be running around and waving a towel, but police took no chances. In fact, neither did Jayson Werth. He readied himself for a possible altercation when the fan jumped onto the field near right field, but the fan quickly darted past him before being takent down in left.

The Phillies said in a statement: “This is the first time that a Taser gun has been used by Philadelphia police to apprehend a field jumper. The Police Department is investigating this matter and the Phillies are discussing with them whether in future situations this is an appropriate use of force under these circumstances. That decision will be made public.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported the fan has been charged as a juvenile with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and defiant trespass. Police Commissioner Charles Ramsay defended the officer’s decision to Taser the juvenile.

“It was inappropriate for him to be out there on the field,” Ramsay told KYW Radio (1060-AM). “Unless I read something to the contrary, that officer acted appropriately. I support him 100 percent.”

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Chase Utley‘s solo homer off Trever Miller in the ninth was his fifth homer this season against a lefty, which leads the Nationa League. … Ryan Howard‘s 30-game on-base streak against the Cardinals was snapped. He went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.

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The Zo Zone is on Facebook and Twitter. His Phillies book “The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly” is available online, and at Delaware Valley bookstores!

I say tase them early and often and then no one will pull this crap in Philly. Remember a few years ago when a fan did this (also at the Bank I think) and it took them like 5-10 minutes to corral the guy? This throws off the timing and flow of the game. So I say tase away!

I’m going to the game, tonight. I wouldn’t be surprised if some idiot “copy cat” puts Philly’s finest to the test, again. Glad our police commisioner backed his guy. Did you hear that this moron kid called his Dad first, and asked permission to run on the field?! Dad said, “NO!” But when do teenagers ever listen to their parents?

I thought Joe did a decent job, for his first game back. Just left him in too long. They were “watching his pitch count”. It got up to 94, I think, before he was pulled. A little high, if you ask me, for the first time out. You gotta wonder if Chuck, et al, are not too confident in the ‘pen.

norma: According to Charlie, he had limited bullpen options last night. Durbin was unavailable after pitching 2 innings the night before, and he didn’t want to go deep into the pen again. I think Figueroa was his only option, and we know how that worked out.

I knew Durbin wasn’t available. But there should have been a couple of other options. J.C. needs work. And he used Lidge again, in a non-save situation. Then again, Lidge needed the work, too. And threw pretty well.

It annoyed me that Charlie used Durbin the night before in a game where the Mets had clearly quit. That’s the game Figueroa should have pitched.
And I say tase away. I can imagine what my Dad’s response would have been if I asked him if I could run onto the field. You can rest assured that I can’t type it here.

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